Argentina’s top football officials have firmly denied reports that their federation’s president and treasurer were detained and questioned upon leaving the United States after the World Cup final.
The Argentine Football Association (AFA) did, however, acknowledge a US investigation into a third party with links to the association.
The organization issued a statement following media reports that its president Claudio Tapia and treasurer Pablo Toviggino had been detained at an airport before boarding the flight transporting the national squad home after their loss to Spain on Sunday.
The pair were reportedly detained for questioning and had their electronic devices seized by US authorities, before being summoned to appear in court regarding AFA’s international contracts.
However, an official AFA statement denied all of the reported claims as completely unfounded.
“All lies.”
A district court has issued a summons targeting a third party, as conceded by the association. The individual is being asked to appear before a grand jury and present any documents and communications that may be related to various individuals, including officials of the federation.
AFA, headed by football heavyweight Tapia since 2017, is currently the subject of several domestic investigations involving allegations of money laundering and tax evasion.
Under Tapia’s leadership, relations between the federation and the administration of President Javier Milei have grown increasingly strained, particularly over strong opposition to plans regarding the privatization of football clubs across the country.